Direction indicator for automobiles



May 24,. 1932. w. M. HIKE ET AL 1,860,179

DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2.

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May 24, 1932.

w. M. HIKE ET AL DIRECTION INDICATOR FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed April 5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 .23 m a 25 i 5/ I I" i I I I 3-- I D r 522 IIIMIIILIIIII W.J.B.Kas.t v

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Patented May 24, 1932 WILIQIA M. or OMAHA, WILZBER J. B. KAST, or s mv sg smsm mnsc'rroif mmc ms m AUTOMOBILES.

x I gpplication filed April}, 1930. i Serial no; 441,952.

'The present inventionrelates to improvements in vehiclefisrgnals,andhas for an obect to prov1de a d'e'vlcefor announclng an 1n- Another object of the present invention is to provide an indicating device adaptedrto be supported, for instancefupo'n. the rear fenderof an automobile, and having a pivible clearly day and by night.-

otal movement toena'ble theindicatortoshift to a variety of positions for showing proposed changes in direction and to announce the intention of the driver to stop the vehicle. 1 A further'xobject of the invention is to provide an economical construction which A still further object of the invention is to simplify the construction of signalsof this class to provide asignal which iseasily 'and conveniently operatedand 1yet will not occupy agreat amount of room on the'vehicl,

which is capable ofbeingattached to exist ing vehicle constructions without requiring changes or alterations therein; and to provide signal which maybe illuminated at night only up-onits movement from its normal state of rest. V i v The invention also aims to provide a pivotally mounted signal which is normally concealed behind an obstruction or -shieldandthe rear side of which is adapted to be readily" visible in the daylight for directing attention to the signal upon its upward swinging move ment into indicating position.

W'th the foregoing and other objects. in

view, the inventionwill be more fully described hereinafterfandwill be more partic-.

ularly hereto.

pointedoutj in the'clai-m appended In'the drawings; wherein like-symbols rethe several views; I v i Figure .1 is a'rear elevation of a rearcorner of an auto-mobile, showing the new device I of this invention applied thereto.

fer to like or corresponding parts throughout Figure 25s a detail enlarged rear elevation I of the new signal in a 7 raised or'indicating position. 1 1 Figure 3'is alike jviewinfront elevation, showing the opposite side of--the signal;

.is-visthereon suitable .Turn.

brackets 19.1 1

A One oflthearms or links 16' is provided 'on its lower end witha bell crank exten-.-

Figure a transverse section ftalrensubstantially on the line 4-4 of Figure3,-zand lookingin the direction of the'arrowss Figure 5 isazrea'r, elevation of the signal l in normal collapsed position, i 7

Figure 6 'is a-iragmentary longitudinal;

Figure 8Fi's a top plan viewoi the same 5 -mounted on the floor of the vehicle.

Referring now more 'particularly to'the drawings, wherein; like .numerals refer to like 'or 'correspond-ingparts throughout the several views,10 designates the-body of'an automobile-provided with a rear left 'fen'der .,11, upon which. the newsignal is mounted;

.The new signal comprisesa casingor hous-v -ing 1250f general arrbwshape, the outerien'd of which is preferably pointed as at 133K531 simulation of an arrow.

'As best shown in Figure l flthe-interior of the housing 12 is, provided with an electric lamp 14 and, as best shownin Figures 2 and w 3, the sidewall of the'housing is provided with a transparent pane 15 'of-glassor the like, and

there may be atransparent pane 1-5 in each i side of the housing or indicator 12, therean pane being relatively large and having-etched V The housing 12 carried byiarms V 16 which are pivotally'securedto the housing by pivots'17.v The lower ends ofthe a-rms 16 are connectedby pivots'lS to standardsor' m sion 20 which-ispivotally connected at 21 to-alink 22,which in turn is 'pivotally connected at 23 to the free end ot-a second bell crank 24:. The

hell 011111112415 'pivotal ly sup- 'POI' EGdJOIIthQ pivot:18.';; i V The bell crank 24 is provided with a spring. i 325-for holding the housing 12 in :grais'ed posi-' 100 indici'a, suchas the word m v 5 in the collapsed position, is a ing maintained in anormal circuit open posi-l V 7 tio iby a spring29.,

. "By the' foregoing means'vit will be under- V stood that when the wire 26 is'pulled itiwill thereby cause the signal housing or indicator 1 12 to be moved into a raised position, asshown- 15 in Figure 3, from its normal position of rest such as shown in Figure 5', a Referringnowto F gure r 6; abattery so is carried by the automobile: 10

and connected v by electric; wires-131m the switch 28 carried. I by the signal for lighting the larnp 14 with- 1 in the housing 12 the said switch 28 "being a part of; the circuit thusformed! The'signal s mounted on the fender ll-yor on any other suitable 'part of the; vehicle 10,

byzan a t ng bracket 32 'whichicarries a base plate from the 'rear'edge 'of which rises fa shield plate 34. The'vertic'al brackets 19 1 which oarry-theindicator-12 rise from the base 7 3 9 front-of the ,indicatoris plate 33'v in spaced'r'elation to and in collapsed it will be hidden from a rear yiew by h i d It will-beundersto d'that when the indicator 12' isflin lowered position, as shown in y :35 Figures, the switch 2811s open .the cirraised the switch lever-2Twill be'actuated at" the sametime-for closing the electrie'cir'cuit and causing the' lan1p"14 to be lighted" and illuminate the housing 12 and' the glass15.-

cuitalso open. It will befurther understood that, when the; housing or (indicator 312 is ti on;which{extendsforwardly of the vehicle :10 as shown in Figure-'6' and whichiscon 7 nected to an ar'm 35.

Theoarm 35 is mounted on a PiVOtfdti cargried-by a'brac'ket plate 37. The arm 35 pro ,jects from a pinion 38 which mesheswith a l second pinion39 on a'pivot 40 also on the 1 1 1 5 operating lever 44;,

bracket plate 37 'flhe pinion or ge'ar39 is I secured to'an arm41having a laterally exltendi'ng-pin 42 which rides in a slot 43 ex- :Itending atright angles in the lower end of an Thelever 44 is provided with upwardly Y ifajcing shoulder 4lindaptedto engage the edge ''''-of aslot 46 in the flange 47 of {the bracket plate -37 when'the=lever 44 is depressed. 9'

360. .oAibuttong48iis provided on the upper end i Aof 't he' lever 44} The flange 47 p'rovidesa bottom 'floorj 'platefwhichais secured toithe floor boards ofthe automobile I10 byone or i i famore bolts 49, and-atop floor plate '50 is .pro-

i -ivided for'the up er side of the floorboard shield pla't'e 34 so that when the The heretofore mentioned" flexible element ori connector26 Inayfalso include'a'chain'por-; our invention in practice. except, as herein and has a slot 51 through'which the operating lever 44 may operate.

" In the operation and use ofthe invention, I

all parts thereof are normally at rest as shown in Figure 6.

and depresses the lever 44 which, thr.ough.the pinions or gears 39 andx38, draws the flexible connector 26 forwardly and swings the bell.

crank lever 24 upwardly on its pivot18, The

'free 7 end ofthe'bell crankflever 24 pulls the To give a-signal for turning; the operator places his heel on the button 48 link 22 which in turn swings the arm or link a 16 into raisedf'positio'n, The parts of the sig nalare thus movedjfrom the position shown J 7 c in Figure5 into the position shown in Figure 3. The indicator 12 :is f-thus; raisedintolview from behindthe shield-plate34', theswitch '28 a nated andexposed to view;

is closed and the word Turn;wi-ll be illumilever 44 in depressed position by 'rockin'git After having made the turn, the: lever:44i is released and the signal returns to "normalposition. under the action of the springs 25 'and29.-

' V I c From the foregoing deseriptiong it is thought to be obviousthat adire'ction indicat tor for autoniobiles constructed-inaccord- .a ncewith this invention is particularlyjwell adapted-for use byreason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled forwardly whendepressed tOiIltI'lOCkithj v shoulders 45.- and 46, whentheioperator desires to use both feetsfor the clutch and-brake. Q

to various changes and ,modificationsi with- 3; out departing 'froxr'rthev principle and spirit thereof, and for this reason it isnot'wished to be understood as limiting the "invention to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out 7 afterclaimed I v r 1 ;Whatis c1aimedis:"- I r A vehicle'signal, comprising bracketfo'r c attachinent to-a vehicle, a shieldplate carried f by the bracket and extending upwardly at the rear edge; thereof, apair of arms mounted on the bracket-in spacedrelation to said shield and disposed in" rear there0f,a link'piwited 'on theupper end of each arn nan elongated indicator pivotallyflmounted upon the'outer I ends of said links in parallelogram relation thereto and to the braokehfsaid links adapted: to swing downwardly behind said shield .to I

dispose the indicator in back of thelsaine, a

bell eranklever mounted'on one of saidarms,

a link between said bell crank lever and the other for; pausing the armsv to; move I simultaneously. and equally, aspring' disposed between the bell crank lever andthe bracket 7 for normally urging the :links to swing-into i a lowered '-zposition behind the shield," .and'

If so desired, the operator inayij locki the ion the vehicle and operated, andlit will also 9 'be obvious 'that'the invention issusceptible 1 manually operable means connected to thebell crank lever for moving the same against the tension of said spring to raise said arms and the indicator when desired.

whereof, we aflix ouf signa- WILLIAM M. WILBER J. B.;KAs:r.

In testimony tures. 

